Rail joint



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RAIL JOINT Filed Aug 4' 1930 i\ 2- 12. 1 11 ix 2%? Q 1 a 5. 5 55i 0 (@A i 4 4 i I q 4:

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Patented Apr. 14, 1931' UNITED STATES CARL J. nnaeunn'rnnn, or ALAMEDA, CALIFORNIA BAIL Jom'r Application filed August 4,

My invention relates to railway-rail joints. Its object, generally stated, is to equalize the efiect of load-stresses thereon. This is effected by a novel fitting of the joint memb bers, the outstanding feature of which .con-

sists in an embracement of the rail-foot by said members with a shrunken fit.

M invention, more in detail, will be fully set orth and ascertained in and by the following'specificationtaken in connection with the accompanying drawings. It is to be understood, however, that changes may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention as defined by the claims hereunto appended.

In the drawings, Fig. 1 is a side elevation of my rail-joint, showing a species in which weld seams are employed.

Fig. 2 is a cross section, enlarged, on the line 22 of Fig. 1. v

Fig. 3 is a cross section, showing a species in which the joint members comprlsmg the shrunken fit embracement of the rail foot, are secured together by flanged contact without welding.

1 indicates the spaced, aligned, adjacent rail-ends, of the T-rail type with head 2,.web 3, and -toot 4. 5 is a base plate upon which the rail ends lie. This plate, which crosses the line of separation of the rail ends, has a length adapted for its proper supporting function; and a width greater than the width of the foot 4 of the rail ends so that it projects from each side of said foot.

6 are joint-plates adjacent to and in fishing relation with the rail-ends, said plates crossing the line of separation of the rail ends and in cross-section being shaped with a head 7, shank 8, and foot 9 with a toe 10. These joint plates are fitted to the rail ends in the general position of fish-plates, one on each side; and nutted bolts 11 pass through their shanks and the rail-end webs. Their heads 7 underlie and contact with the rail-end heads 2, while their foot members 9 rest upon the foot 4 of said rail ends, with their toe extensions over-lying the projecting sides of the base plate 5, but terminating short of the edges thereof. The heads 2 of rail ends are welded together in the line of separation, as shown 1980. Serial No. 472,882.

at 12in Fig. 1. In the joint which is shown in the species illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2, there are four lines or seams of .Welds, in opposite pairs. One pair is indicated at 13 and lies between the head 7 of the joint plate 6 and the outer edge of the under side of the rail-end head 2. The other pair 14 lies between the outer side of the toe 10 of the joint plates 6 and the upper surface of the side extensions of the base plate 5.

Both pairs of weld seams cross the railjoint, as in Fig. 1. The upper pair 13 preferably have a length less than the length of the joint plates, as shown in Fig. 1, so that the end portions of said joint plates are not welded to the rail-end heads. The lower pair of weld seams 14, as seen in Fig. 1.are the full length of said joint plates 6 and baseplate 5. With regard to these lower weld scams or lines 14, it is now to be especially explained and understood as comprising a highly important feature of the present invention, that said welds are made while the supporting plates 5 are in heated and consequently expanded condition, so that subsequent shrinkage of said plate upon cooling will lock the foot of the rail-ends, securely to and in the rail-joint; in other words, the union of rail-end foot, joint plates and base plate is one of shrinkage contact or fit. By shrinking the joint members in an embracing fit on the rail foot and welding as shown, two very definite advantages are secured. First, the joint is held rigidly together without disturbing the molecular construction of the rail-foot. Second, while the exposed surfaces are more or less continuously united by the welds and hence will react, under ex ternal temperature changes as a unit, the portions of the joint that are protected from such external temperature changes are not welded, and the difference in temperature of the external exposed and internal protected ortions will not set up temperature strains 1n the joint. Further, while the joint is rigid- .ly held together, certain minute movements,

or a certain small amount of slack is desirable in the base portion of the joint, which slack, could not be obtained if the base portion were rigid, but is here present due to the said joint plates with the base plate in a shrunken fit embracement of the rail foot by the welded unit comprising the joint plates and base plate.

In Fi 3 is shown another species of union of the joint members which while still retaining theessential feature of a shrunken fit embracement of the rail foot, dispenseswith the weld seams such as 14 of Figs. 1 and 2. In this species the modification consists in turnin up the sides of the base plate 5 to form anges 15 which are shrunken against the toes 10 of the joint-plates 6.

I claim 1. A rail-joint comprising a base plate underlying the rail-ends; joint-plates fitted to the sides of the rail-ends in contact with the head and foot thereof and means uniting said joint plates with the base-plate in a unit shrunk upon the rail foot. 4

2. A rail-joint comprising a base plate underlyingthe rail-ends; joint-plates fitted to the sides of the rail-ends in contact with the head'and foot thereof; and weld-seams uniting said joint plates with the base-plate in a unit shrunk upon the rail foot.

3. A rail-joint comprising a base plate underlying the rail-ends; joint-plates fitted to the sides of the rail ends in contact with the head and foot thereof; weld seams rigidly unitin the head ortion of said joint plates with t e rail-hes. s; and means uniting-said joint shrun upon the rail foot.

4. A rail-joint comprising a base plate underlying the rail-ends; joint plates fitted to the sides of the rail ends in contact with the head and foot thereof; weld seams rigidly unitin the head ortion of said joint plates e rail-hea s; and weld-seams uniting unit shrunk upon the rail foot.

5. A railoint comprising joint-plates fitted to the sides of the rail-ends in com I tact with the head and foot thereof; and a base plate underlying the rail-ends, said base plate having upturned side flanges shrunk upon the joint-plates, and said base plate and joint plates forming a unit shrunk upon the rail foot.

In testimony whereof I have signed 'my name to this s ecification.

ARL J. BERGUNDTHAL.

1plates with the base plate in a unit 

